Panel board



July 18, 1933. R R. ECKENRODE ET AL 1,913,525

PANEL BOARD Original Filed March 23, 1925 Emails.

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Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE ROY R. ECKENRODE ANDLEONARD 12-. EDGAR-DUE, OF DETROIT, lvIICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO SQUARE I)COIVIPANY, 015 DETROIT, ITIIGHIGAN, A CORPORATION 01* MICHIGAN PANELBOARD Application filed. March .33, 1925, Serial No. 17,525. Renewed May2, 1931.

Our invention relates to electrical appliances and it has particularrelation to the provision of mounting means for supporting conductingportions of such appliances.

In electrical appliances such as panel boards, switch boxes, fuse boxes,and other like apparatus, it is frequently necessary to change thecapacity of the particular appliance or certain circuits in saidappliance.

This necessitates a rearranging of the parts v within the appliance toaccommodate larger or smaller fuses,-switch blades, or the like, as thecase may require. Heretofore it has been necessary, inorder to vary thecapacity of switch blades, or the other above-mentioned current carryingparts, particularly so far as the changing of the fuse size isconcerned, to practically dismantle the appliance in order to effectsuch a change.

In a copending application of A. P. Ball, Serial No. 623,356, and ownedby the assignee of the present application, there is described a systemof unit base mountings wherein individual bases accommodate the variousconducting parts of an electrical switch or the like. These parts may beeither mounted directly on the back of the appliance, or may be heldthereon through the interrelation of shoulders on the bases and anapertured se curing plate which extends over such shoulders, and which,when it is fastened to the back of the appliance, secures the unit basesin place. By thus arranging the conducting elements of an appliance onindividual base units, the repair or replacement of the various parts ofthe switch, or other appliance, is clearly facilitated. 6

Our invention relates to a further improvement in the idea ofunit-hase-mouiitings whereby not only are the said unit bases held inposition in the same manner as, and thereby derive the benefits of, themountings as shown in said copending application, but they also providefor a very flexible panel board, or switch box unit so far as changingthe capacity or other factors of said appliance. p

, Our invention resides in the-provision of a securing plate in whichthe apertures are of greater dimension in a longitudinal direction mentof any than the base units which are secured in the appliance by saidsecuring plates. Such a provision of a slot, longer than the base unitheld in said slot, provides for a marked increase in the flexibility ofthe switch board or switch. Y

For a better understanding of our invention reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational, perspective view of a panel board embodyineour invention;- and Fig. 2 is a plan perspective view of a switch boxembodying the same invention.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, a panel board comprises theusual outer frame member 10, and an interior casing or box member 11provided in said frame. A backplate 12 extends across the back of theswitch board frame forming a. box-like outer por-. t-ion for the switchboard.

Fig. 2 will now be described, since our invention will be more readilyunderstood by referring to the two appliances ointly, and, moreover,because the relation of the securing plate and the unit bases may bemore easily explained in connection with Fig. 2. An appliance, or switchbox 13, comprising side walls 14l1l, walls 1515 and a back wall 16, isshown in this figure. A plurality of base units 17 formed of insulatingmaterial are disposed in the box, while mounted on said base units 17are a plurality of current conducting members-wire connectors 18, switchblade clips 19, switch blades 20, fuse clips 2121a, fuses 22 and wireclips 23.

In other words, there is illustrated, as a complete and operativeentity, the ordinary switch in a box provided with fuses of propercapacity. It will be observed that replaceof the conducting parts isfacilitated by reason of the mounting of such parts on the individualunit bases. It will, moreover, be observed that the bases upon which thecontacts are mounted are secured to the back 16 of the box by reason ofthe engagement therearound of a securing plate 24, which may be of sheetmetal or other suitable material. The latter has slots therein of a sizeequal atleast to the area of the upper portion of the unit bases wherebythe securing of the plate over the bases and the thereafter attachmentof the plate to the back of the switch box results in the mounting ofthe base units as shown. It should, moreover, be observed that when theunits are mounted in this fashion there is no danger of a short circuitwith any portion of the meter box, since the insulating bases aresecured in the box without any conducting members, such as screws, etc.,being used to secure said bases to the back of the box.

Fuse clips 21a are mounted on the lower base units 17. It will be notedthat the slots 25-25, in which said lower fuse-clip bases are mounted,are elongated beyond the length of the unit bases mounted therein. If,therefore, one desires to puta smaller capacity fuse in the switch box,namely, one shorter than the fuses 22 which are shown, it is onlynecessary to slightly loosen the plate 24, and slide the base unit 17 tothe upper end of the slot, at which point it will accommodate theshorter fuse.

In this way the switch box ismade eX- tremely flexible so far as Varyingthe capacity thereof is concerned, and this idea of flexibility is oneof the essential features of our invention.

,Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the same idea may be usedin imparting flexibility to a switch board, panel board, or cutout box.We have designated the corresponding parts in this figure by the samereference numerals as are used to describe analogous parts in Fig. 2.

A plate 24 is utilized to fit over the shoulders of the base units 17and thereby secure said base units to the back of the appliance. Butbars 2626 are provided longitudinally of the appliance. These bars maybe connected to cross straps 2727, as is required, by connecting screwswhich extend from said bars into contact with said cross straps 27. a

It will be observed that the slots 25 in the securing plate 24 arelonger than the base units 17 positioned in said slots. When, therefore,it is desired to replace the larger fuses 22 by fuses 29 of lesscapacity, it is only necessary to slide said base units along the slots.to comprehend the length required by the fuses to be substituted.

From the above description, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that we have invented a system of unit base mountplates whereby thefuse capacity in any circuit may be readily changed with a minimumexpenditure of effort.

lVhile we have described but two embodiments of our invention, it isapparent that many modifications thereof may occur to those skilled inthe art, and we desire, therefore, that this invention be limited onlyby the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In an electrical appliance in which fuses of varying capacities areinserted in accordance with the capacity of the appliance, fuse-clipmountings comprising insulating'base units, means for securing said baseunits in said appliance comprising an apertured plate, said base unitsbeing mounted thereby in said appliance, and means permitting theshifting of said units in said apertures to accommodate fuses of varyinglengths.

2. In an electrical appliance in which it is desired to interchangeablyaccommodate fuses of Varying capacities and lengths, fusereceiving meanscomprising clips, unit insulating bases supporting said clips and havingshoulders thereupon, securing means for attaching said bases in saidappliance, without conducting part-s passing from said bases to saidappliance, comprising an apertured plate fitting over the shoulderedportion of said units, the apertures in said plate being longitudinallygreater in dimension than the length of said bases, and means permittingthe shifting of said bases along said apertures to vary the lengthbetween said fuse-clip supporting means, and thereby ac commodate fusesof varying capacity.

3. In a. switch, a casing, insulating terminal blocks having shoulderportions formed thereupon, and a perforate member which is secured tosaid casing and is fitted down over said blocks, thereby holding saidshoulder portions between said casing and itself, the perforations ofsaid member being substantially larger in one dimension than saidblocks, whereby the positions of said blocks may be adjusted withrespect to said casing and said perforate member.

4. In combination, electrical terminal mountings comprising units foreach of the terminals, each unit having a head portion, and a singlemember for lying over said head portions to hold said units in place,said single member having means to permit adjustment of the positions ofsaid units.

5. In combination, a support, a plurality of electrical terminal mountscomprising blocks of insulation and a plate for spacing and securingsaid blocks to said support, said plate having means to permitadjustment of the positions of said blocks.

6. Electrical terminal mountings comprising blocks of insulation and aplate for maintaining said blocks spaced by a contactual engagementonly, said plate having means to permit adjustment of the positions ofsaid blocks.

7. Electrical terminal mountings comprising blocks of insulation and asingle member for holding said blocks spaced by lying over a portionthereof, said member having means to permit adjustment of the positionsof said blocks.

8. Electrical terminal mountings comprising a support upon which aplurality of blocks are arranged and a single fastening member having agripping contact holding said blocks in position, said fastening memherhaving means to permit adjustment of the positions of said blocks.

9. In a device of the class described, a support, a plate, a pluralityof individual mounts between said support and said plate, said mountsbeing held in spaced relation by said plate, and said plate having meansto permit adjustment of the positions of said mounts.

10. In an electrical appliance having current carrying parts, such asfuses, embodied therein, means for receiving said parts, and means forsecuring said receiving means in adjusted relative positions, saidsecuring means being releasable from the front of the appliance topermit such relative adjustment whereby the reception of parts ofvarious sizes and capacities is accommodated.

11. In an electrical appliance having current carrying parts, such asfuses, embodied therein, means for receiving said parts by insertionthereof in a direction normal to the face of the appliance, and meansfor securing said receiving means in adjusted relative positions, saidsecuring means being relcasable to permit such relative adjustmentwhereby the reception of parts of various sizes and capacities isaccommodated.

ROY R. EGKENRODE. LEONARD R. BOGARDUS.

